What a diverse collection of family-operated businesses we have here in Michiana.
    As pointed out in the business law column on Page 20, 80 to 90 percent of all businesses in the United States are operated by families. These businesses employ 62 percent of the workers in our country.
    That makes family-owned businesses the most important sector of our economy. Without these people willing to risk their capital to follow their dream, our economy would be much weaker.
    Knowing these family-owned businesses are vital to our economic health in Michiana, we decided to dedicate this issue to looking at them and profiling three of them. Kauffman Sons and Laney Honey are small operations that we think are typical of our local family businesses. They are both successful and expanding, perhaps not with leaps and bounds growth, but steady growth that brings stability to their operations.
    We also profile Jayco, which is one of the larger family-owned operations in Michiana. The Jayco brand can be found in campgrounds all across North America. Those recreational trailers were made here by local workers employed by the Bontrager family.
    I think these three family-owned businesses are representative of the thousands of such operations in Michiana. I think you will enjoy reading their stories.
    And looking ahead, our next issue will deal with how local companies are using the latest in technology to help their operations. Please let me know if your firm is increasing its use of technology.
    — Roger Schneider, editor